Method and apparatus for transporting glassware

Claim 2

Apparatus for removing glassware from support means carried on a transport wheel, comprising: a pushout arm movably mounted to engage and move glassware in a predetermined direction away from the transport wheel, cam means for reciprocally actuating the pushout arm so that said portion engagable with glassware is repeatedly moved in said predetermined direction away from said transport wheel, a take-out screw conveyor means supported adjacent the pushout arm; and drive means operatively connected with said cam means and said take-out screw means so that said pushout arm and screw means function in a timed relationship whereby glassware is rapidly moved away from the transport wheel by the pushout arm and accurately placed in the take-out screw conveyor means by the same action of the pushout arm.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pushout arm is mounted adjacent the cam means, and wherein the cam means is a rotatably secured cam with a portion of the pushout arm bearing upon a cam surface whereby rotation of the cam produces a reciprocating movement in that portion of the pushout arm engagable with said glassware.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cam is rotatably driven by a drive means having a gear attached thereto, which gear is in turn operatively connected with a second gear attached to the take-out screw conveyor means, whereby the cam and the take-out screw conveyor means are operatively connected to function in a timed relationship.

Claim 5

Apparatus for removing glassware from support means carried on a transport wheel, comprising: a pushout arm movably mounted to engage and move glassware in a direction away from the transport wheel, means for reciprocally actuating the pushout arm, a take-out screw conveyor means supported adjacent the pushout arm, the pushout arm actuating means and the take-out screw means being operatively connected to function in a timed relationship, whereby glassware is rapidly moved away from the transport wheel by the pushout arm and accurately placed in the take-out screw conveyor means by the same acTion of the pushout arm, and said take-out screw conveyor means incorporating a linearly movable reject gate along its length whereby specific items of glassware conveyed on said take-out screw conveyor means may be selectively removed through said gate.

Claim 6

Apparatus for removing glassware from support means carried on a transport wheel, comprising: a pushout arm movably mounted to engage and move glassware in a direction away from the transport wheel, means for reciprocally actuating the pushout arm, a take-out screw conveyor means supported adjacent the pushout arm, the pushout arm actuating means and the take-out screw means being operatively connected to function in a timed relationship, whereby glassware is rapidly moved away from the transport wheel by the pushout arm and accurately placed in the take-out screw conveyor means by the same acTion of the pushout arm, and said take-out screw conveyor means incorporating a linearly movable reject gate along its length whereby specific items of glassware conveyed on said take-out screw conveyor means may be selectively removed through said gate.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein a movable belt is disposed immediately below and adjacent the take-out screw conveyor means at the location of the reject gate, the movable belt being disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the screw conveyor means, whereby articles may be quickly and selectively removed from the take-out screw conveyor means by opening said reject gate and carrying the articles away from reject take-out screw conveyor means on said movable belt.

Claim 8

Apparatus for removing bottles from a rotatable transport wheel wherein the bottles are removably secured to the transport wheel by support means, comprising: a pivotally mounted pushout arm bearing upon a rotatably mounted cam, the pushout arm being movable in response to rotation of the cam to move towards and away from the transport wheel, a rotatably mounted take-out screw conveyor positioned adjacent the transport wheel at substantially the end point of travel of the pushout arm away from the transport wheel and having a direction of travel away from the transport wheel and substantially in line with the final direction of the travel of the pushout arm at the outermost movement away from the transport wheel, the screw conveyor having a mechanical connection to a drive means which drive means is also connected to rotate the cam, whereby the transport wheel, cam and pushout arm operate in a timed relationship to move the pushout arm away from the transport wheel to carry a bottle away from the transport wheel and into the screw conveyor in a continuous timed sequence; and a linearly movable reject gate and a movable belt positioned along the length of the screw conveyor with said belt disposed below and adjacent the reject gate and in the path of travel of the bottoms of bottles being transported along the screw conveyor whereby, upon opening of the reject gate, bottles can be quickly removed from the screw conveyor and carried away therefrom on the movable belt.

Claim 9

Apparatus for removing bottles from a rotatable transport wheel wherein the bottles are removably secured to the transport wheel by support means, comprising: a pivotally mounted pushout arm bearing upon a rotatably mounted cam, the pushout arm being movable in response to rotation of the cam to move towards and away from the transport wheel, a rotatably mounted take-out screw conveyor positioned adjacent the transport wheel at substantially the end point of travel of the pushout arm away from the transport wheel and having a direction of travel away from the transport wheel and substantially in line with the final direction of the travel of the pushout arm at the outermost movement away from the transport wheel, the screw conveyor having a mechanical connection to a drive means which drive means is also connected to rotate the cam, whereby the transport wheel, cam and pushout arm operate in a timed relationship to move the pushout arm away from the transport wheel to carry a bottle away from the transport wheel and into the screw conveyor in a continuous timed sequence; and a linearly movable reject gate and a movable belt positioned along the length of the screw conveyor with said belt disposed below and adjacent the reject gate and in the path of travel of the bottoms of bottles being transported along the screw conveyor whereby, upon opening of the reject gate, bottles can be quickly removed from the screw conveyor and carried away therefrom on the movable belt.

Claim 12

Apparatus for transporting and diverting articles, comprising: a pushout arm having a portion engagable with articles to be transported from a predetermined position; connecting means operatively connected with said pushout arm; article conveying means; actuating means operatively connected with said connecting means and said conveying means for causing movement of said portion of said pushout arm to thereby move articles engaged therewith away from said predetermined position toward said conveying means anD for causing said conveying means to move articles received from said pushout arm along a predetermined path, said conveying means and said pushout arm being actuated by said actuating means in a predetermined timed relationship; and article diverting means for diverting selected articles from said conveying means during movement of said articles by said conveying means along said predetermined path.

Claim 13

Apparatus for transporting and diverting articles, comprising: a pushout arm having a portion engagable with articles to be transported from a predetermined position; connecting means operatively connected with said pushout arm; article conveying means; actuating means operatively connected with said connecting means and said conveying means for causing movement of said portion of said pushout arm to thereby move articles engaged therewith away from said predetermined position toward said conveying means anD for causing said conveying means to move articles received from said pushout arm along a predetermined path, said conveying means and said pushout arm being actuated by said actuating means in a predetermined timed relationship; and article diverting means for diverting selected articles from said conveying means during movement of said articles by said conveying means along said predetermined path.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said pushout arm engages articles at the discharge position of a transport wheel, wherein said connecting means includes cam means, wherein said article conveying means includes a screw drive means, wherein said actuating means drives said transport wheel, cam means, and screw drive means in a predetermined timed relationship, and wherein said diverting means acts upon said selected articles to be diverted during movement of said articles by said screw drive means.